I'm not a food critique, just a food lover and shares the joy with others out there....Please do note that taste is a matter of individual opinion and can differ from one to another. All views expressed here are purely based on my taste buds and preferences......

Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Kim Kee Bak Kut Teh @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

A few day's back, I visited Restaurant Chun Mei Bak Kut Teh which I have blogged about here. That for me is the best Bak Kut Teh place in Tanjung Malim that serves excellent old school Bak Kut Teh. However, not all would prefer the dark broth and for them, this place would be a better option. Kim Kee Bak Kut Teh is located right beside the entrance to Kampung Berop in Tanjung Malim. Both restaurants have been around for more than 30 years now, perhaps almost 40 years.

Just A Simple Set Up

It's Actually An Extension To Their Home

Cooking Is Done On The Far Left

Their Home

Unlike Chun Mei, this place does not have a dedicated parking space and hence, customers would have to park by the side of the road. This leaves limited space for customers to park. The majority of customers here would be lorry drivers. The reason for this is simply because this place provides free bathroom and toilet facilities for these drivers. So many of them would drop by, have their bath, freshen up and once done, have their dinner. This is advantageous to them as there are not many places like this that still exist. Food isn't as cheap as the other location but it is still acceptable. Prices would vary from 30 cents up to RM 1 per item. As far as the locals are concerned, some are loyal to this place and some prefer Chun Mei. After all, it is about taste buds right.

Red Chilies, Bird Eye Chilies and Diced Garlic

Just like the other place, ordering is quite simple. I would always head to the counter to check what's available for the day. Once I have seen the items, I would then order what I would like to have. Similarly, the same was done for today. I ordered some meat cuts along with some fat and two Lor Tan's. The Tofu didn't look too good and so I skipped that. The Garlic and Chili provided too were not fresh. Also, they only provided light Soy Sauce and the Sweet Soy Sauce was not provided. Lime too was not available. Service was quite average as they have no additional help here. It was very much the husband and wife who were running the show. Well, for the kind of crowd they usually have, this duo is more than enough. Does not make any economical sense for them to hire additional help.

My Dinner For The Day

It took them approximately 15 minutes to prepare my dishes and send over to my table. I shall comment on each one of these items below.

White Rice @ RM 1.00 per bowl

Unlike Chun Mei, White Rice is a chargeable item here. There, the first bowl would be provided with the Bak Kut Teh set but here, they charge for this individually. The big bowl like the above is priced at RM 1.00 and a small bowl is priced at RM 0.70 . Both places only serve plain White Rice and you do not get those Onion Rice or Oil & Shallot Rice in either places. Since the broth is a medium bodied one, this plain White Rice compliments it well. If it had been those light ones like those that we commonly get in Kuala Lumpur, then it would have been a major letdown.

Bak Kut Teh @ RM 8.00

Mix Of Fat & Meat.... As I Requested

I asked for a mix of lean meat and some fat and that is exactly what I got. If you prefer those big bones, they do have those too. But please do note that claypot style is not available here. The meat is well cooked in a medium bodied tea and it does taste good (though the darker one is my personal preference). Taste wise it was nice and I would rate this at 8.5/10 .

Eggs @ RM 0.80 each

At Chun Mei, they serve these eggs in the Bak Kut Tea broth itself but here, this is served in light Soy Sauce. Taste wise, it is nice too. I wonder why the eggs have an odd shape today. Nevertheless, they were tasty. I would rate these at 8.5/10 .

Plain Tea

Medium Bodied Tea

As you can see, it is almost clear and the base of the spoon is clearly visible. If you do check my blogs on Chun Mei just a few days back, I have taken a similar photograph and in that, you would not be able to see through. As I said, for those who prefer a slightly lighter broth, this would be the place to head to. They are not stingy with the tea and you can always ask for more and they would happily top it up for you. For me, this would fetch a rating of 8/10 . Just for your information, a big bowl of Tofu is priced at RM 2.50 and a small bowl of Tofu is priced at RM 1.50 . They only use Tofu Pok here.

For those who are bored with the common preparation found in Kuala Lumpur, this is definitely a good alternative. I do remember many of my Singaporean friends always asking me where to get the Bak Kut Teh that comes in the dark/medium broth and this is one of such places. Tanjung Malim is also located not very far from Kuala Lumpur and today with the North South Highway, it is just a 40 minutes drive.